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Friday, November 17, 2017

On quirky heroines

Quirky heroines are some of my favorites to read - they’re usually smart, hilarious, unique, and they don’t care at all what people think. Most of us could probably learn a bit from their example. Plus, they’re an absolute delight to read. Here are some of the quirkiest heroines I’ve read:

Mattie Ross from True Gritby Charles Portis- Mattie’s quirkiness doesn’t look like your stereotypical quirky heroine. Mattie is humorous and single-minded and therein lies her quirkiness. What other young teen girl in the 1800’s would hunt down her father’s murderer and make it such a hilarious journey? Only Mattie.

Steris Harms from Bands of Mourningby Brandon Sanderson - Her first introduction in this series makes Steris look stuffy and uptight. By Bands of Mourning, we’ve finally started to see that Steris is a fantastic planner and that she has an eye for detail that is necessary to Wax and Wayne’s work. Also, she’s able to overcome all her fears to help the people she loves ultimately. Steris’ slow warming to people and her love of lists endears her to me and earns her a spot on this list.

Sunnie Stone from Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris - Sunnie is a caring nurse, a cool head in difficult situations, and a voracious reader of anything she can get her hands on. Some of my favorite passages in this book are Sunnie rambling about what she’s been learning about whales from her reading and watching Sandy fall for her smarts and dedication.

Faith Herbert from Faith Volume One: Hollywood and Vine by Jody Houser - Faith is optimistic, happy, and somehow balances her job writing for a Buzzfeed-esque company with her superhero job of saving people (and puppies) around town. Plus, there’s all that drama with her ex-boyfriend, but she won’t let that get in the way of doing her job(s). Faith is a wonderful twist on the classic Superman story and she’s a delightful character to read.

Mallory Sullivan from Love and Other Alien Experiences by Kerry Winfrey - Mallory belongs on this list as a stereotypical quirky YA girl - in some ways. She’s an awkward high school student whose anxiety has stopped her from leaving the house for months. But a new friend on her favorite alien forum and getting to know her next-door-neighbors completely change Mallory’s perspective - and perhaps her approach to life.

What characters would you add to this list? What do you think of the characters I included? Who are your favorite quirky heroines?